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| FOUNDATION 1835 ANGERS, FRANCE |  | FOUNDER ST MARY EUPHRASIA PELLETIER (ROSE VIRGINIE PELLETIER) |
| HISTORY | ST MARY EUPHRASIA | FOUNDATIONS |
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| HISTORY |
| IN 1814 ROSE VIRGINIE PELLETIER A YOUNG FRENCH WOMAN JOINED THE TOURS REFUGE RUN BY THE SISTERS OF OUR LADY OF CHARITY. BEFORE TAKING THE HABIT, SHE WAS ASKED TO CHOOSE A SAINT'S NAME. WHEN HER FIRST CHOICE "TERESA OF AVILA" WAS REJECTED AS TOO "FAMOUS", SHE CHOSE "EUPHRASIA" AN LITTLE KNOWN NORTH AFRICA SAINT. SHE BROUGHT JOY TO THE LIVES OF THIS ELDERLY COMMUNITY WORN OUT BY THE HARDSHIPS OF THE REVOLUTION. IN 1829 THE SISTERS FROM TOURS ARRIVED IN ANGERS TO REFOUND A REFUGE NAMED THE GOOD SHEPHERD AFTER THE ORIGINAL REFUGE. THE EARLY DAYS WERE EXTREMELY HARSH DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS. THE BOARDERS AND SISTERS WERE OFTEN HUNGRY. WITHIN TWO YEARS THE SITUATION HAD DETERIORATED AND IN 1831 M EUPHRASIA WAS NAMED LEADER AT ANGERS. CONFRONTED WITH THE ENORMITY OF THE TASK, M EUPHRASIA HOPED THAT OTHER REFUGES OF THE SISTERS OF OUR LADY OF CHARITY WOULD COME TO THEIR HELP. THIS WAS NOT TO BE BECAUSE OF THE TRADITION THAT EACH REFUGE WAS INDEPENDENT AND AUTONOMOUS. AT THE SAME TIME M EUPHRASIA WAS RECEIVING REQUEST FROM BISHOPS IN OTHER FRENCH CITIES ASKING HER TO FOUND MORE REFUGES. A PLAN SLOWLY DEVELOPED IN HER MIND - A VISION OF A NETWORK OF REFUGES WHERE RESOURCES AND STAFF WOULD BE SHARED IN COMMON. ON 16TH JANUARY,1835, THE SISTERS WERE STARTLED WHEN THE CONVENT BELL RANG THREE TIMES, ALL BY ITSELF. AT THAT VERY HOUR THE POPE HAD ISSUED A DECREE APPROVING THE THE FORMATION OF THE SISTERS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD. WITH M EUPHRAISA AS THE FIRST SUPERIOR GENERAL OF THIS FLEDGLING CONGREGATION, IT EXPANDED QUICKLY IN THE 33 YEARS THAT TRANSPIRED BEFORE HER. YOUNG WOMEN WERE ATTRACTED TO THE CONGREGATION AND NEW HOUSES WERE ESTABLISHED IN OTHER PARTS OF EUROPE, NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA, ASIA, AFRICA AND AUSTRALIA. |
| AUSTRALIAN FOUNDATION |
| ON 24 JUNE 1863 THE FIRST FOUR GOOD SHEPHERD SISTERS LANDED IN MELBOURNE, HAVING TRAVELLED FROM ANGERS IN FRANCE AT THE REQUEST OF BISHOP JAMES GOOLD OF MELBOURNE. SISTERS WERE NEEDED TO HELP WOMEN IN DISTRESSED CIRCUMSTANCES DURING THIS PERIOD OF GOLD MINING AND PASTORAL SETTLEMENT IN THE FAST GROWING COLONY. FROM THE OUTSET THE SMALL BAND OF SISTERS FACED IMMENSE CHALLENGES, ESPECIALLY IN PROVIDING A HOME FOR PERSONS IN NEED AND OBTAINING SUFFICIENT FUNDING FOR THEIR WORKS. THE SISTERS MADE EVERY EFFORT TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT. THEY MAINTAINED A FARM AND PRODUCE GARDENS WHILE A COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY PROVIDED EMPLOYMENT FOR OLDER GIRLS AND WOMEN AND GENERATED INCOME FOR THE CONVENT. IN 1883 THE FIRST EXPANSION FROM ABBOTSFORD TOOK PLACE WITH THE FOUNDATION OF A CONVENT AT OAKLEIGH, IN MELBOURNE'S SOUTH-EAST. THE CONGREGATION OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD SOON GREW IN AUSTRALIA THANKS TO THE ARRIVAL OF MORE SISTERS FROM IRELAND AND THE ENTHUSIASM OF LOCAL WOMEN TO JOIN THE CONGREGATION AND BY THE END OF THE CENTURY THE NUMBER OF GOOD SHEPHERD SISTERS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TOTALLED OVER 200. FROM THE MID 20TH CENTURY THE PHILOSOPHY OF PROTECTING VULNERABLE PERSONS FROM HARM OR EXPLOITATION WITHIN THE CONVENT EVOLVED INTO ONE OF MOVING OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF THE CONVENT TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEED. THE LARGE CONVENTS WERE CLOSED FROM THE MID 1960S. IN THEIR PLACE OVER 40 SMALLER HOUSES WERE ESTABLISHED TO ACCOMMODATE THE SISTERS AS WELL AS MANY PERSONS WHO FORMERLY LIVED IN GOOD SHEPHERD CARE. |
| CONTEMPLATIVE SISTERS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD |
| ONE OF THE INNOVATIVE STEPS UNDERTAKEN BY MARY EUPHRASIA WAS TO ESTABLISH A CONTEMPLATIVE COMMUNITY WITHIN THE ANGERS REFUGE THUS ALLOWING BOARDERS TO BECOME NUNS. CANONICAL LAWS OF THE TIME WERE VERY STRICT ABOUT ADMISSION TO RELIGIOUS LIFE AND IT WAS TO CIRCUMVENT THIS THAT THE SISTERS OF ST MARY MAGDALEN (THE MAGDALENS) WERE FORMED IN 1825. THESE SISTERS FOLLOWED A RULE ADAPTED FROM THE CARMELITES BY MARY EUPHRASIA. IN 1936 A COMMUNITY OF SUCH SISTERS DRAWN LARGELY FROM GIRLS FORMERLY IN GOOD SHEPHERD CARE ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES IN CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND. IN 1961 THIS GROUP MOVED TO MELBOURNE AND TODAY IS LOCATED AT BORONIA. IN THE 1960’S THE SISTERS CHANGED THEIR NAME TO THE SISTERS OF THE CROSS AND THEN LATER TO THE CONTEMPLATIVE SISTERS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD. THE COMMUNITY IS CLOISTERED AND THEIR WORK INCLUDES SEWING, COOKING, PAINTING AND GARDENING. |
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| FOUNDATIONS |
THE SISTERS OF OUR LADY OF CHARITY OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD ARE A CENTRALLY ADMINISTERED ORDER WHICH IS DIVIDED INTO PROVINCES. THE AUSTRALIAN FOUNDATIONS BELONG TO THE PROVINCE OF AUSTRALIA AND AOTEAROA (NEW ZEALAND). CHANGES IN ATTITUDES TO INSTITUTIONAL CARE FROM THE 1960's SAW THE LARGE CONVENTS CLOSED AND SMALLER PRIVATE RESIDENCES OPENED TO REPLACE THEM. THE LATTER AND ALSO FOUNDATIONS MADE OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS LISTING. |
| PROVINCE OF AUSTRALIA AND AOTEAROA (NEW ZEALAND) | |||||
ABBOTSFORD |
ALBERT PARK |
ASHFIELD |
BENDIGO |
BORONIA |
LEEDERVILLE |
MITCHELTON |
OAKLEIGH |
PLYMPTON |
SANDY BAY |
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